Shauna Corr

A Cookstown resident who 'wants to move on from the past' has hit out at the erection of a flag related to the Continuity IRA outside the courthouse.

The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, has said the flag - which represents proscribed organisation the Fianna under the UK's Terrorism Act of 2000 - is offensive to the town's unionist community.

"People have suffered enough," he said, before adding: "Stop throwing it all in each other's faces with the likes of flags, graffiti etc"

"The IRA flag that flies at the courthouse which children and people walk by everyday heading to the town and school - who maybe have had family members throughout the Troubles who lost their lives - is very insensitive to the community

"I'm from a mixed religion family and was brought up to respect 'both sides' as we would have called it back then.

"I'm not sectarian or a bigot, I want us all to move on from the past."

But he said, he it not just talking about 'insensitive' nationalist flags, as he said the same should go for loyalist flags that could also be seen as offensive to parts of the community.

"No flag that is attached to terrorism should be flown," he went on.

"It shows no respect to the victims of our society. In this day and age, on both sides, I don't think it's respectful to everyone who's suffered at the hands of terrorism."

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